The Framingham Heart Study Brain Aging Program (FHS-BAP) has received a $31.5 million, five-year funding renewal from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to continue and expand research on brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias.
The renewal builds on decades of longitudinal data from the Framingham Heart Study, allowing researchers to investigate how cognitive impairment and dementia develop over time and to identify factors that may contribute to risk, resilience, and opportunities for earlier detection and prevention.
Advancing Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Research
During the next five years, FHS-BAP will expand research across several areas, including vascular and inflammatory contributors to Alzheimer’s disease, genetic risk and resilience, and biomarkers that may help identify brain changes before symptoms become apparent.
The renewed program will also place increased emphasis on making curated FHS brain-aging data more accessible and usable for researchers and on supporting mentorship opportunities for early-career investigators.
Leadership for the Next Phase
The renewed program is led by Lindsay Farrer, PhD; Rhoda Au, PhD; Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, ScM; and Jesse Mez, MD, MS.
The addition of Lloyd-Jones, Director of the Framingham Heart Study, and Mez, co-leader of the FHS-BAP Clinical Core, strengthens the connection between the Brain Aging Program and the broader Framingham Heart Study as FHS-BAP enters its next five-year funding cycle.
Media Coverage
Boston University’s The Brink recently featured the FHS-BAP funding renewal and spoke with program investigators about the research, resources, and priorities shaping the program’s next phase.